Burn a test grid on 3mm birch plywood. Click the best cell. Those settings go straight into your job.
Light Lane's material test grid generates up to 20x20 cells, each with a different speed and power combination. Engrave the grid on a scrap of your material, inspect the results, and click the cell that looks best. No writing numbers on sticky notes. No guessing.
- Up to 20x20 grid: 400 speed-and-power combinations in one burn.
- Click any completed cell to see its settings and hit Apply.
- Save the winning settings to your material library for next time.
What the material test grid includes
- Configurable grid size from 1x1 up to 20x20 (default 5x5).
- Custom speed range (default 500 to 3000 mm/min) and power range (default 20% to 100%).
- Adjustable patch size (default 8mm), gap (default 2mm), and line spacing (0.05 to 1.0mm).
- Hatch fill or outline-only fill mode. Bidirectional option for hatch.
- M3 constant or M4 dynamic laser modes.
- Live engraving monitor with color-coded cells and a real-time laser cursor.
- Click any completed cell during or after engraving to see its Power%, Speed, and S-value.
- One-click Apply copies the winning cell's settings into your active job.
How to run a test grid in Light Lane
- Step 1
Open the Material Test Grid dialog
Go to Tools, then Material Test Grid. Choose your grid size, speed range, and power range. The default 5x5 grid with power from 20% to 100% and speed from 500 to 3000 mm/min is a solid starting point.
Why it matters: Wider ranges reveal bigger differences between cells. Narrow the range once you know the ballpark.
- Step 2
Place scrap material and engrave the grid
Put a piece of the same material you plan to use for the real job on the laser bed. Hit Generate, then Send to Laser. The live engraving monitor shows each cell as it burns, color-coded from blue (low power) to red (high power).
Why it matters: Testing on the same batch of material gives you settings that actually transfer to the real job.
- Step 3
Inspect and click the winner
Look at the finished grid. Find the cell with the cleanest burn, best contrast, or deepest cut. Click it in the monitor overlay. A popover shows Power%, Speed mm/min, and S-value. Hit Apply.
Why it matters: One click copies those settings into your active job. No manual entry, no transcription errors.
- Step 4
Save to your material library
Open the Material Manager and save the winning speed and power under the material name and thickness you tested. Next time you work with the same stock, load those settings directly.
Why it matters: You only run the test grid once per material. After that, the settings are saved and ready.
Test grid defaults and limits
| Parameter | Default | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Grid size | 5 x 5 (25 cells) | 1x1 to 20x20 (400 cells) |
| Patch size | 8mm | Configurable |
| Gap between patches | 2mm | Configurable |
| Line spacing | 0.1mm | 0.05 to 1.0mm |
| Power range | 20% to 100% | Configurable |
| Speed range | 500 to 3000 mm/min | Configurable |
| Fill mode | Hatch fill | Hatch (bidirectional option) or outline-only |
| Laser mode | M4 dynamic | M3 constant or M4 dynamic |
Test grid in action
The grid generates a visual matrix on your material. The live monitor tracks progress and lets you click any cell to apply its settings.
- Grid generation and cell selection.
- Click-to-apply from the engraving monitor.
Material test grid questions
Do I need a Pro subscription?
Yes. The material test grid requires a Pro subscription ($24/month). During the 14-day free trial you get full Pro access, so you can test it immediately.
How many cells should I start with?
The default 5x5 grid (25 cells) balances coverage with material usage. Use a wider range at first to find the ballpark, then run a tighter 10x10 grid within that range for precision.
Which material should I test on?
Use scrap from the same batch as your real job. Different brands and batches of birch plywood, acrylic, or MDF can behave differently. A test grid on one batch applies to that batch.
Can I use the test grid with Marlin or Smoothieware controllers?
Full Marlin and Smoothieware dialect support for test grids is being finalized and will ship very soon. GRBL is fully supported today.
What if I change materials later?
Run a new test grid on the new material. The settings from birch plywood will not transfer to acrylic or leather. Each material gets its own saved entry in the material library. One grid per material, and you are set.
Run your first test grid on a scrap of birch plywood
25 cells, 5 minutes, and you know your settings. 14-day free trial, no card required.
Next steps
Validate one real workflow in Light Lane, then move to the most relevant guide or feature page.
Last updated February 20, 2026